Children

We believe that children are the foundation of our future. Providing for the care and well-being, both physical and mental, of all children is imperative the Centene Charitable Foundation.

Centene Charitable Foundation has sponsored more than $15,000 to St. Louis-based Operation Food Search’s weekend feeding program for children, Operation Backpack. Through this leadership contribution, Operation Food Search will be sending home backpacks of nutritious food to 100 children from low-income families every weekend of the 2013-14 academic year. In addition to this sponsorship, Centene is also donating over 600 children’s books and activity guides from the company’s award-winning book series, The Adventures of Boingg & Sprockette, which will be included in the backpacks. The books range in topics from healthy nutrition and fitness, to advice on avoiding-smoking tobacco, and maintaining good hygiene.

In the St. Louis public schools, 85 percent of the children rely on free or reduced-cost meal programs. Without Operation Backpack, some of these children would receive little to no food on weekends.

“With so many children going home on weekends to no food, it is crucial for us to help relieve the hunger problem,” said Sunny L. Schaefer, executive director, Operation Food Search. “Centene’s support of the Operation Backpack program shows a commitment to improving the health of our community, one nutritious meal at a time.”

During the 2013-14 academic year, Operation Backpack is working with nine school districts across the St. Louis metro area to supply over 4,000 low-income children with backpacks each weekend. Each backpack is filled with six nutritious meals, plus healthy snacks. Over 115,000 backpacks will be provided to these children before the end of the school year.

Michael Neidorff, Centene’s Chairman, President and CEO, believes that education is an irreplaceable cornerstone for every person. Centene is proud to align with Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis, which provides relevant, life-long educational opportunities to over 140,000 students each year. By educating young people about work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy with hands-on, engaging programs which inspires young people to succeed in a global economy.

For 150 years, Epworth Children & Family Services has provided the St. Louis community with essential youth development services that have helped thousands of children overcome severe emotional and behavioral challenges caused by abuse or neglect. The mission of Epworth fits perfectly into the vision of philanthropic work that Michael and Noemi Neidorff see for our community.

This is why Michael and Noemi Neidorff were honored as Epworth’s Pillar of Strength Award honorees in 2014. They recognize that youth in foster care don’t always get the same chances as others, but they believe every child has his or her own story to share and dreams to achieve.

Centene’s Chairman, President and CEO, Michael Neidorff says it best, “We are very blessed to be where we are in life, and I think it’s important to share that blessing.”

Michael and his wife, Noemi, have dedicated themselves to giving back to their community, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude’s mission is to advance cures, and means of preventions, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Ranked one of the best children’s hospitals in the country, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

“St. Jude is a national treasure,” said Michael Neidorff. “I hope the children continue to have the hope, the renewed faith that they have lives to look forward to, and that we see St. Jude continue the phenomenal research. As I believe they will ultimately be the one to find the cures we are all looking for. I hope that for every child in this country and every child that passes through their doors.”